Universal credit awards are made up of a number of different elements. The elements that are included in your award depend on your circumstances (and your partner’s circumstances if it is a joint claim).

This page gives a summary of how to make a universal credit claim and explains the difference between single and joint claims.

One of the basic conditions of entitlement for Universal Credit is that you must accept a claimant commitment unless an exception applies.

The amount of capital you have can affect whether or not you qualify for universal credit and the may affect the amount of your universal credit award. 

This page looks at child benefit and links to our guidance on how the high income child benefit charge (HICBC) works.

This part of the website contains information about the different types of financial support that are available from the government to help with the costs of childcare.